Fiber cleaner



Aug. 26, 1958 M. MAYER, JR, ETAL 2,843,754

FIBER CLEANER Filed Jan. 10, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. M.MAYER JR. J. I. KOTTER Ev-M 1958 M. MAYER, JR, ETAL 2,848,754

FIBER CLEANER J. I. KOTTER Emil asssnse risen LEANER Mayer Mayer, .lr., New @rleans, and lames ll. Kotter, Metairie, 1a., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture Application January 10, 357, Serial No. 633,509

5 tClairns. (til. l-67) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in the invention herein described, throughout the world for all purposes of the United States Government, with the power to grant sublicenses for such purposes, is hereby granted to the Government of the United States of America.

This invention relates to a fiber cleaner especially intended for use in removing trash which is heavier than the fibers, such as sticks, pepper trash, etc., from ginned cotton fibers.

For a description of the invention in detail reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a three dimensioned view of the essential features of the invention, the forward portion of the figure being a section; and

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Rotatable fiber processing cylinder 10, onto which fibers are fed by any desired means is of a usual construction. For example, cylinder may correspond to cylinder 19, Fig. 1 of Patent No. 2,365,793, or to the fiber processing cylinder of other fiber working apparatus.

Rotatable dofier cylinder is mounted parallel to and adjacent cylinder 10 so that the adjacent faces of the processing and dolfing cylinders move in the same direction. The dofing cylinder is provided with radial brushes 16 on its periphery which run close to but out of contact with cylinder 10. The adjacent face of the dofier cylinder moves with a greater speed than that of the fiber processing cylinder. The dofier cylinder is fixed to dofier shaft 17 which projects from the machine and is provided with any desired driving means, such as a belted pulley (not shown), the shaft being rotatably supported in end bearings, such as shown at 18, the outer races of the bearings being fixed in the stationary framework 20. A housing encloses the dofier cylinder and is provided with an open portion adjacent the fiber processing cylinder as illustrated in the drawing. The dofi'er cylinder is essentially hollow, the brushes being mounted on a spider 26. Air is admitted through openings 27 and 28 leading into the housing, one at each end of the cylinder, thence into the interior of the cylinder and radially outwardly between the brushes, then through the open portion of the housing. The amount of air admitted through openings 27 and 28 may be varied by adjustment of sliding sleeve dampers 29 and 30, respectively.

The processing and dolfing cylinders act to open or loosen the fiber containing the trash so that the particles of trash are better separated or detached from the fibers. The opening of the fibers results from the fast movement of the brushes 16 striking those fibers lying outside or on the surfaces of the processing cylinder 1% and pulling these fibers loose from the slower moving cylinder. Because of the inertial forces and the frictional drag of the fibers held by the cylinder, they do not instantly attain the speed of the brushes. Therefore, the fiber opening occurs during the interval of fiber acceleration. As the brushes advance, the air, rushing out through the open portion of Patented Aug. 25, 1958 w a, c.

the housing 25, blooms and further separates the fibers and completely dofis the more firmly held fibers.

The air conveying the fibers from the processing cylinder flows into the entrance 35 of a main conduit 36. A deflector 37 near the entrance divides the main conduit into a trash conveying conduit 38 and a fiber conveying conduit 39. The deflector is hinged at 40 so that it may be moved to adjust the efitective relative sizes of conduits 38 and 39.

Trash conveying conduit 38 leads into a trash box 45 provided with a conventional screw type conveyor 46 at its bottom portion for removing the collected trash. The fiber conveying conduit leads to a region of pressure less than that in the trash box, as for example, to a suction fan (not shown) for delivery of the cleaner fiber to any desired point.

The arrangement is such that the trash conveying conduit is more nearly tangential to the fiber processing cylinder than the fiber conveying conduit. The heavier trash tends to follow a path into the trash conveying conduit while the lighter fibers will deflect with the air current into the fiber conveying conduit. Adjustment of deflector 37 aids in obtaining a proper division of the air stream.

It is impossible, of course, to obtain an absolute division of trash and fibers as they enter the conduits so that some particles of loose trash will remain with the fibers while some loose fibers will be carried along with the trash. To accomplish a further separation of the trash from the fibers the fiber conveying conduit is provided with a sharp bend and a trash ejecting opening through the conduit wall at the outer curved portion of the bend leading into the trash box. Due to the change in direction of the air stream the heavier particles of trash tend to follow a straight line and are ejected through the opening into the trash box. In the particular cleaner shown the openings are provided by a series of spaced curved bars 50, the remote tips of which essentially align with an adjustable edge piece 51 forming a continuation of the fiber conveying conduit.

Provision is also made for recovery of any loose fibers which have been carried along with the trash into the trash box. To accomplish this purpose a fiber inlet open ing 55 is provided in the wall .of the fiber conveying conduit, positioned beyond the trash ejecting openings and leading into the trash box. Since the fiber conveying conduit leads to a region of pressure less than that in the trash box, air will flow through fiber inlet opening 55 and carry the loose light fibers suspended in the trash box with it back into the fiber conveying conduit.

Fiber inlet opening 55 is made adjustable in size by means of a sliding valve 56. The opening should be so adjusted as to permit recovery of the maximum amount of fiber without permitting drawing of undesired trash particles along with the air stream through the opening.

An adjustable opening 69 in the wall of the trash box provides for admitting air to regulate the pressure within the trash box.

We claim:

1. A fiber cleaner comprising a rotatable fiber processing cylinder onto which are fed fibers containing trash heavier than the fibers, a rotatable dofier cylinder mounted parallel to and adjacent the processing cylinder, the adjacent face of the dofier cylinder moving in the same direction as that of the processing cylinder but at a greater speed, a housing enclosing the dofier cylinder with an open portion adjacent the fiber processing cylinder, means for admitting air into the interior of the dofler cylinder and radially outwardly thereof through the open portion of the housing, a conduit having its entrance adjacent the processing and doifer cylinders into which the air flows for conveying the fibers opened by the fiber processing and doft'er cylinders, a deflector dividing the conduit into a trash conveying conduit and a fiber conveying conduit, said trash conveying conduit being more nearly tangential to the fiber processing cylinder than the fiber conveying conduit, and a trash box into which the trash conveying conduit leads, .the fiber conveying conduit leading to a region of pressure less than that in the trash box, whereby the'heavier trash follows a path "into the trash conveying conduit and the fibers follow the path to the region of lesser pressure, said fiber conveying conduit including a bend and a trash ejecting opening through its wall at the outer curved part of the bend leading into the trash box, whereby heavier trash yet remaining with the fibers is ejected through the trash ejecting opening into the. trash box.

2. A fiber cleaner comprising a rotatable fiber processing cylinder onto which are fed fibers containing trash heavier than the fibers, a rotatable doffer cylinder mounted parallel to and adjacent the processing cylinder,

the adjacentface of the doffer cylinder moving in the same direction as that of the processing cylinder but at a greater speed, a housing enclosing the dotfer cylinder with an open portion adjacent the fiber processing cylinder, means for admitting air into the interior of the dotter ing conduit, said trash conveying conduit being inore nearly tangential to the fiber processing cylinder than the fiber conveying conduit, and a trash box into which the trash conveying conduit leads, the fiber conveying conduit leading to a region of pressure less than that in the trash box, whereby the heavier trash follows a path into the trash conveying conduit and the fibers follow the path to the region of lesser pressure, said fiber conveying conduit including a fiber inlet opening through its wall leading into the trashbox whereby fibers entering the trash box, loosened from the trash, and suspended in the trash box, are conveyed by air through the fiber inlet opening back into the fiber conveying conduit.

3. A fiber cleaner as defined in claim 2 characterized in loosened frorn'the trash, and suspended in the trash box References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 7 1,276,355 Henry Aug. 20, 1918 2,223,098 Farr Nov. 26, 1940 2,663,912 Wallace Dec. 29, 1953 

